Beet and cotton thinner



Sept. 20,1927. in c HALL 3, 2

BEE! AND COTTON THINNER Filed Jan. 29. 1927 I 2 Sheets-Shetl Fig.1; L 6

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Sept. 20, 19 27.

| c. HALL BEET AND COTTON THINNER Filed Jari. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Sept. 20, 1927.

UNITED STATES enna LEWIS G. HALL, OF WHEATLAND, WYOMING.

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Application filed January 29, 1927. Serial No. 164,566.

This invention relates to cotton and beet thinners and spacers.

One important object of this invention 18 to improve the general construction of devices of this character so that hand work in the thinning of cotton, beets, and other plants of similar habits may be eliminated.

A second important object of this invention is to provide a novel form of frame structure for such device wherein the chopping wheel common to these devices is carried on a supplemental frame adjustable in an improved manner on the main frame.

A third important object of this invention is to provide a novel arrangement of parts by means of which the shaft carrying the chopping wheel may be engaged and dis.- engaged at Will from the operating means and may also have its rear end lifted upwardly, when desired, so that the chopping Wheel clears the growing plants.

A fourth important object of this invention is to provide a novel arrangement by which the front end of the chopping wheel shaft may be lifted bodily .with the frame structure and the rear end lifted with respect to the frame structure.

lVith the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafter apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings like charactersiof reference indicate like parts in the several views, and: a a a Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the body of the invention.

Figure 4 is a front view of the chopper wheel.

Figure 5 is an elevation of a bracket for holding the blades on the wheel. v

Figure 6 is a section on the line '66 of Figure 3.

Figure Figure 3.

Figure 8 is an end blades In the embodiment of the invention here shown there is provided a main frame having side members 10 and a rear member 11 which holds the rear ends of thee side mem- 1 is a section on the line 7-7 of view of one of the bers apart. At the front end the side members are bent inwardlytoward each other as I shown at 12 and are then bent forwardly as at 13 to support the usualtongue and draft gear 14. Throughthe side members 10 adjacent the rear end there extends a main shaft or axle 15 whichprojects well beyond the side frame members on each side. Splined on these projecting ends are the hubs 16 of rear wheels 17, these hubs being held in adjusted position by set screws 18. Preferably the axle, between the side frames 10 is covered with a. housing'lS) and on this axle is fixed a drivinggear 20, the housing being suitably cut away to expose theforwardportion of this driving gear. The for ward end of the side frame members are provided with suitable boxes 21 through which slide the standards 22 carrying the front wheels 23. i i ards are provided with grooves 24 and collars 25 are mounted on these standards and have, set screws 26 projecting into the grooves. On each side frame member is. pivoted a bell crank lever 27 the forward end of which is connected by a'pin and slot connection with a respective collar 25. The rear end of each lever 27 is connected by a reach rod 28 with a latch lever 29 working over a quadrant 30 fixed on the rear frame member 11. Thus by operating the levers 29 the front of the main frame. may be raised or lowered as desired.

Each ofthe side members 10 is provided, adjacent its forward end with a series. of vertically spaced bolt openings 31 and spaced rearwardly from the openings 31 are similar openings 32. Between the side members 20 is located aninner secondary frame having side members 33, a frontmember 34 and a rear member 35. These side members 33 are The upper ends of't-hese stand- H adj ustably connected tothe side members 10 by means of bolts 36 at the front and rear, said bolts passing through .the sides 33, and through selected open1ngs'31 and 32 respec tively. By this means the secondary frame 1 may be raised or. lowered bodily with re.-

spect to the main frame and there held. Also, the secondary frame may be tilted at either end to angular position with-"respect to the main frame'an'd there held.

The frame member 34 isprovidedfwith a central opening 37 slightlygreaterin verticalv dimension than in width and through this central opening extends theforward end of a shaft 38. The rear end ofthis shaft extends through a vertically elongated loop or guide 89 and can thus be raised or lowered at the rear end with respect to the main frame. A pinion is fixed on the rear end of the shaft'38 and normally meshes with the gear 20. On the forward portion of the shaft 38 is fixed a collar 41 and between this collar and the front frame member is a spring 42 which urges the shaft rearwardly and normally holds the pinion40 in mesh with the gear-20. Fixed on the rear portion of the shaft 38 is a collar 43 and extending rearwardly from this collar is a'reach rod 44 which has its. rear end connected to a latch lever 45 working over a quadrant 46 fixed to the member 11. By this means "movement of the lever 45 forwardly will p'ushlthe shaft 38 bodily against the action of the spring 42 and disengage the pinion 40 from the driving gear 20 so that the operator of the machine can stop the shaft 88 when desired.

()n this shaft 38 is fixed a chopper or thinner wheel 47 carrying on its periphery brackets 4-8 to which are adjustably connected chopper blades 49. Thus, when the pinion and gear mesh the wheel 4'7 will rotate and the chopping or thinning operation may be carried out but by proper movement of the lever 45 the wheel/l7 may be stopped from rotation.

There is also connected to the collar 43 the front end of a pedal lever 50 which passes through and is slidable in a fulcrum 51 fixed on the housing 19. The rear end of this lever is'provided with a pedal 52 which is convenient to the operators seat 53 carried by the member 11. Also the levers 29 and 45 will be convenient to thisseat. By depressing the pedal 52 the collar 43 and rear end of the shaft 38 may be raised in the loop 39, so that while the machine is being driven at times when it is desired that the chopper wheel and blades be not drawn throughthe growing plants, the wheel and its plants may be lifted clear, this operation being, it necessary, assisted by raising the front end of the main frame bythe levers 29. Preferably a rein guide 54 is carried on the main frame and arches over the wheel 47 to keep the reins from being entangledterial spirit thereof.

efficient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the ma- It is not, therefore,- desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described theinvention', What is claimed as new, is:

1. nit beet thinner, a frame structure, front and rear wheels supporting said frame structure, a thinner wheel shaft extending longitudinally of and supported by said frame structure, said shaft having its rear end supported for vertical movement with respect to the frame structure, a thinner wheel carried by said shaft, a driving gear actuated from said rear wheels, a driven pinion on the rear end of said shaft and connected to the shaft for driving the same, said pinion being normallyin mesh with the driving'gear, said shaft being slidable longitudinally in said frame structure, a spring urging said shaft rearwardly and the pinion into engagement with said gear,

a collar fixed on said shaft, a latch lever and quadrant mounted on the frame structure, a reach rod connecting the collar and the latch lever to move the shaft longitudinally as the lever is moved, and means to lift the rear end of the shaft with f respectto the frame structure.

2. In a beet thinner, a'frame structure, fl ont and rear wheels supporting said frame structure, a thinner wheel shaft extending longitudinally of and supported by said frame structure, said shaft having its rear end supported for vertical movement with respect to the frame structure, a thinner wheel carried by said shaft, a driving gear actuated from said rear wheels, a driven pinion on the rear end of said shaft and connected to the shaft for driving the same,

said pinion being normally in meslrwith the driving gear, said shaft being slidable longitudinally in said frame structure, a spring urging said shaft rearwardly and the punch into engagement with saidgear, a collar fixed on said shaft, a latch lever and quadrant mounted on the frame structure, a reach rod connecting the collarand the latch lever to move the shaft longitudinally as the lever is moved, a pedal lever having one end connected to said collar, and a fixed fulcrum through which the pedal lever slides and in which said pedal lever is vertically tiltable to raise the rear end of said shaft.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

LEXVIS O HALL. 

